Does Sweating Cause Body Odor

Sweat is commonly associated with the cause of body odor. However, there are some individuals who sweat a lot, yet have little or no odor; while others who sweat very little experience a massive odor. Therefore, the question arises, does sweating really cause body odor?

The answer to that question is yes and no. The role of the sweat is to either regulate the body temperature or to wash the body from the inside out.

There are two types of sweat glands known as the eccrine and apocrine glands. The role of the eccrine glands, which are located pretty much over the whole body, is to regulate body temperature. These glands rarely ever contribute to an odorous sweat.

The apocrine glands, on the other hand, usually contribute to an odor as they release their sweat. This is because these glands bring out all the harmful toxins that were collected throughout the body. It is those toxic substances that give way to an odor once they are broken down by the bacteria on the skin. The more toxins that come out, the more offensive the odor will be.

This is why one person might be able to sweat buckets, yet have no odor, while another sweats very little but is unable to mask it. It all depends on what is inside the body and what comes out.

The odorous toxins can come from dietary sources or from a disease, such as parasites, certain types of cancer or diabetes.

Most refined and heavily processed foods contain ingredients that the body views as toxic, and when they leave the body they contribute to an odor.

If foods are eaten in such large quantities that the body cannot keep up with digesting them, then they too will become toxic and give way to an odor once they are released. This is true even for fruits and vegetables, which are deemed as the healthiest foods on the planet.

Red meat and other animal products tend to move through the system very slowly, which gives them plenty of time to ferment and become toxic as well.

Many folks will go to great lengths in order to stop the sweating in the attempt to control body odor. However, that is not the correct approach as that will simply keep the toxins trapped in the body, where they will cause disease later on in life.

Therefore, it is best to allow and even help the body to sweat on a regular basis. Of course this will increase the body odor temporarily, but after the toxins have been released, and no new toxins are put in, then the odor will eventually be eliminated.

A sweat can be promoted through exercise, warming herbs, a hot bath or by spending time in a sauna.